FRANCE 2 - 0 GERMANY

Friday, 13 November 2015

Stade de France, ParisFriendly

This page is dedicated to the people of the beautiful city of Paris and all who were affected by those terrible events. May you find strength in the face of cowardice and violence.

A football match overshadowed by the dreadful events in Paris that night.

Those of us watching the televised coverage of the game had heard two explosions during the first half, and news soon came through of the attacks that were occurring throughout Paris as the match continued. After the match had ended, the German team retreated to the changing room, although Jogi did appear in the TV studio to give a brief interview to ARD, in which he admitted he had no idea as to what was going to happen next They remained at the Stade de France and did not emerge until the next morning when a police escort took them straight to the airport and onto a flight to Frankfurt where they landed safely the next morning.

"We are all devastated and shocked. For me, the sport, the game and both conceded goals have completely faded into the background. There is nothing to say about that. I obviously thought about the bomb threat when I heard the bang. Every one of us on the bench thought about it, as we had all been left shocked earlier in the day already. When I heard it, I could picture what had just happened." - a statement from Jogi on dfb.de

We came to Paris to do what connects us all - to play football, together, against one another and in friendship. To have an enjoyable evening together with our fans, to show sporting ambition, but particularly we came for a fair and peaceful encounter. We all looked forward to playing in the Stade de France, to have a great night of football, which ended up turning into a nightmare.It was a dull bang, which changed everything. It produced pictures that will remain in our heads for a long time. We spent the night doing a lot of thought-processing. We asked ourselves why something like this could happen? How is such inhumanity even possible? There were a lot of answers, but none that could explain these cowardly attacks. We lost a game of football on Friday evening. But nothing is as irrelevant as that right now.

Back in Germany at a press conference in advance of the Netherlands friendly, 16 November 2015, Jogi spoke of that dreadful night "It was very difficult for us, because our emotions were all over the play. There was so much information coming in, but initially there were no images. We could barely comprehend what was happening. At first there was a lot of unrest and tension, you could also sense fear around the place. We had to decide whether or not to go back to the hotel or stay in the stadium, where we felt relatively safe. I have to compliment everyone in the changing room for staying calm. It showed what a good team we have, one that sticks together in such situations. A few people slept, not me."

"I think it was a great gesture by the French team and by (coach) Didier Deschamps," Löw said Monday, the day before another friendly, against the Netherlands in Hannover.""They offered us to overnight in their hotel and that they would clear a number of rooms. They also waited until it was clear that we would fly directly to Germany."

A full summary of the press conference and more quotes from Jogi can be found on my Netherlands page

Löw spricht über Terrornacht: "Ich wusste: Ich muss jetzt funktionieren" - 17 November 2015In an interview with Bild, also summarised on various other media outlets, Joachim Löw spoke about that evening and how they had little information about what was going on in Paris. The players needed information and discussions with Olvier Bierhoff were what they could do to address 'zero risk' to everyone. They were aware that a coach would present a target and therefore decided to stay in the stadium. To stay in the changing rooms was the right decision, he said, as things then calmed down somewhat. Once back in Frankfurt, Jogi flew to his apartment in Berlin to "as far as it was possible, switch off and relax".

Germany national team evacuated after bomb threat to hotel in Paris - 13 November 2015The team's normal match day routine received a major interruption on Friday morning when an anonymous bomb threat lead to the team hotel being evacuated. The players spent the time at nearby Roland Garros tennis centre before being allowed back into the hotel in the afternoon, after the all-clear had been given.

Joachim Löw spoke first of his opponents tomorrow saying they were a better and more mature team since the World Cup. "I have rarely seen a team that attacks with such purpose and determination. When the French find their tempo, they really get going. They have fast, strong technical players. Paul Pogba is central to their game. Kingsley Coman has proved himself very quickly at Bayern and is difficult to stop. He can play on both sides. France will want to know where they stand, and a game and the World Cup holders is the perfect way for them to find out." He called them one of the favourites for next summer's tournament.

On his various personnel choices and tomorrow's game, Jogi said six to seven positions were clear, three to four are up to grabs. They will wait until the final training session to see what and who may give them an advantage over France.

"We had a few difficulties in qualifying and we will try a few things in preparation for next summer's tournament.""We know the situation, for some positions we still have to try some things out. The full-backs have to gain experience for example. Everything that comes from now on won't depend on results, we want to learn, observe and analyse, and then comes the Euros."

Teenage prospect Leroy Sané has a "special gift" to offer Germany in the run-up to Euro 2016, according to Joachim Löw.Germany coach Joachim Low has tipped youngster Leroy Sane to make the step up to the national squad as the Schalke midfielder prepares to make his international debut. The 19-year-old was rewarded with his first call-up for the upcoming friendlies with France and Netherlands after impressing during the Bundesliga season at the Veltins Arena. And Löw believes the teenager has all the attributes to be a valuable asset to the world champions. "Leroy has an incredibly good feeling when it comes to running into space and, with his speed, he has acquired this very well," he said. "He has shown the quality that he has in the final third third and in the Bundesliga matches that we have observed, he has simply convinced us. "He is a player with a special gift and finesse, speed paired with technique and strong running - at just 19. He can make the jump with us very quickly."

Sami Khedira - "I think that Sami is ready. He has made a good impression in training and I feel like he is nearing the form he once had. He thrives on having a presence in midfield, winning 50-50s and playing forward once he's won the ball. He has shown how much quality he has."

Mario Gomez - "It's hard to make an assessment just from training sessions, but I saw Mario in Turkey, and he has had a big impact there, scoring several goals in the league. He has been unbelievably motivated since the World Cup to be able to go the Euros."

"We are looking forward to both games, they are two big names in world football. We are now playing in the stadium that will host the European Championship final. France are a team full of good individual players who are very dynamic, play direct football and are definitely, as a team, world class. The game will be explosive."

"Habe ausführlich mit der Mannschaft gesprochen"Inevitability Jogi was also asked about the World Cup 2006 affair and how the resignation of Wolfgang Niersbach has affected him as national team coach."From a personal point of view, of course Wolfgang Niersbach's resignation affects me. I always enjoyed talking to him. He was a great listener and wasalways receptive, aware of our sports needs. We had a friendly and trusting relationship. That being said, it doesn't affect my work directly. I hope light will be shed on this but it hasn't had any impact on my work day-to-day." - from espnfc.comThe management team have spoken in depth with the players over the past two days.

Löw: "Entscheide selbst über meine Zukunft"In articles which quote an interview with 'Die Zeit', Joachim Löw has said that he will be the one to decide his future. "I can assure you that I do not need anyone to tell me that I am no longer the right man for this job." he said, but said that he wanted to continue to stay the number one man for the team" and spoke of his concrete plans for the tournaments ahead.I have not had sight of the Die Zeit interview - if anyone has a copy I would love to know!

"Of course I am very shocked, surprised and very sad about it," Germany coach Low was quoted as saying by Sport1.de."Regardless of all the legal issues, I think that Wolfgang was a fantastic person and also a fantastic president for us.""He always loved football and did everything for the game. He was always an excellent person to talk to at all times and that is why I am very, very sorry that he has resigned."

Joachim Löw has named a 25-man squad for the final two internationals of the year. The players come from clubs in six different European leagues - a new record for a DFB team. - 6 October 2015

Löw calls up Sané, Trapp and GomezFollowing the announcement, Löw had this to say about the current squad: "Now we begin preparation for the EURO finals in France. Because of that we will take advantage of every opportunity to experiment. At the same time I always have to think about the burden on my players, looking ahead to the tournament. The season has a long way to go and in some leagues there are no winter breaks. Because of that, I decided not to call up Mesut Özil and Toni Kroos, especially as we want to have a look at other players in that position."On Gomez's return, Löw said: "When Mario is fit, playing regularly and has his confidence and rhythm, he can be useful for any team, including us. He ticks all this boxes at the moment. He's scoring goals again in Turkey, as well as in the Europa League, he has stability again. I am very happy that he has overcome his injury miseries. He has earned his chance to prove his qualities and show us that he has still an option in our attack."Leroy Sané's nomination to the team is a consequence of his consistent performances for Schalke, said Löw: "We already know Leroy from the youth set-up. He's one of the season's revelations so far. He's quick, technically strong, looks to take players on. We see enormous potential in him."Sané has a special caveat: Joachim Löw, DFB sporting director Hansi Flick and U21s manager Horst Hrubesch all agreed that Sané would return to the U21 team after the match in France, to take part in the crucial European Championship qualifier against Austria in Fürth on 17th November.

Four goalkeepers have been named in the squad, including PSG goalkeeper Kevin Trapp is called up for the first time. Marc-Andre ter Stegen is not in the squad due to having dental surgery.

Taking into account the lack of a winter break in England and Spain, Mesut Ozil and Toni Kroos were both rested for the internationals, a move which proved very popular for the fans of Arsenal and Real Madrid!

"We start with the preparations for [Euro 2016 in] France now, and we will test a few formations.""But I also have the players' strain in my mind. The season is long and some foreign leagues are even without a mid-season break.""That's also the reason why I didn't call up Mesut Ozil and Toni Kroos this time. We want to test some alternatives on their positions."

This is what Joachim Löw had to say about the game against France: "The French national side are one of the best in the world in my opinion. At the World Cup they showed the kind of quality they have in the squad. I'm looking forward to a little teaser in France of what is to come in the summer. We're playing in the Stade de France, where the winner of the Euros will be determined on the 10th July 2016. For us, it's also a great opportunity to get a taste of the atmosphere in the ground."